Swift Microwave Therapy

Swift is the quick and clean new treatment for plantar warts. Unlike cryotherapy and salicylic acid treatments, Swift does not break the surface of the skin and does not require bandages or dressings - leaving you to carry on your day as normal. Swift is a new technology that uses microwave energy delivered through a special probe applied to the skin to treat affected tissue. It is precise and creates minimal damage to healthy tissue.

Swift microwave therapy is clean, convenient, and effective.

Clean:

Microwaves are a form of non-ionising radiation, which means that they can’t cause damage to the DNA of living things. Microwaves sit between radio waves and infrared waves (at any frequency between 300MHz and 300GHz – Swift itself operates at 8GHz) in the electromagnetic spectrum. Traditional wart treatments such as laser and electrocautery devices produce a plume that can be hazardous to the clinician and the patient, and regulations require extraction equipment or other precautions to be taken. There is no smoke, plume or smell produced by microwave therapy at all, resulting in a cleaner, safer alternative.

The usage of microwaves to treat tissues also ensures high precision, since microwaves travel in a straight line with no lateral spread, allowing for accurate treatment of only target tissue and leaving healthy tissue undamaged. This means minimal scarring and post-procedural pain.

The Swift system also uses a new disposable tip for each treatment session, eliminating the risk of cross-contamination between patients.

Convenient:

Treatment is fast - it only takes a few seconds for the probe to deliver sufficient amount of microwave energy to the area. After treatment, you do not need to return for a follow-up until 1 month later. Although there is pain during the treatment, it quickly subsides and there is rarely any prolonged pain. In some cases, the treated area may feel sore but will not prevent you performing normal daily activities.

Effective:

Studies have shown 78-83% resolution of plantar warts after 3 treatments of Swift. Due to the nature of microwave energy, treatments are consistent and outcomes are predictable.

How it works:

Swift delivers a precise, highly controlled energy dose to a pre-determined depth into the skin. The use of microwave energy is what makes a Swift treatment so fast. Microwaves travel to a predetermined depth, and the Swift treatment system makes use of this property to ensure that the thermal energy travels to a depth of between 3.5-4mm in the skin every time. As microwaves travel to a pre-determined depth, they don’t break the surface of the skin and destroy tissue from the point of application – like Cryotherapy or Salicylic Acid. As soon as the treatment begins, microwaves are working within that defined field – and no deeper. Water molecules within the tissue begin colliding and creating localised heat energy – quickly treating all infected tissue within that area. This whole process triggers the body's immune response to arrive at the treated area, where it will begin the process of fight the infection. One full cycle of fighting an infection takes 28 days, which is why treatments are spaced 4 weeks apart.

Who should try Swift Microwave Therapy?

Swift can safely be used on most people, including breastfeeding women and young children.

Swift is NOT recommended for:

• Immunocompromised people (ie. poorly managed Diabetes, HIV, Rheumatoid arthritis or other conditions requiring the use of immunosuppressants, those undergoing cancer treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation)

• Those with metallic implants

Please speak with one of our chiropodists if you have any questions or concerns regarding Swift.